Silent Pain
by Rena
Summary: This story takes place the day after Rape Kit. We all know what happened one week after Lu's brutal rape. But what happened the next day?
1. THE MORNING AFTER

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place the day after Lu was brutally raped by Dr. Rand Kilner in the episode "Rape Kit" at the end of season two. In the episode "Trauma" we saw 1 week later how the rape had affected Lu. But what happened the next day? How did Dr. Jackson handle the news of this tragedy? How did he treat Lu? What were Lu's thoughts as she struggled to erase the pain? How did she keep her secret from her young son? What were the thoughts of her friends as they tried to help her? Hopefully this story will answer these questions, although it is just my thoughts on what could have happened.

CHAPTER 1: THE MORNING AFTER

Dr. Luisa Delgado took a deep breath, then walked into the Rittenhouse Women's Health Center. Glancing around at the full waiting area, she wanted to turn around and run. But no, she couldn't. They were her patients. They depended on her. And no matter what, she couldn't let them down.

"Now what in the world are you doing here, Lu?" The sudden voice made her jump.

"Uh...my patients I need..."

"You shouldn't be here, Lu." Lana Hawkins said. "Not after what happened last..."

"Please, Lana. I don't want to talk about it." Lu replied quietly.

"But Lu..." Lana started, but her friend interrupted.

"I'll be in my office, Lana." Before Lana could say anything more, Lu turned and hurried down the hall towards her office. Lana stared after her, shaking her head.

"I can't believe she's here." Lana said out loud.

"Can't believe who's here, Lana?" Lana turned to see Dr. Dana Stowe approaching.

"Lu."

"What? Lu's here?" Lana nodded.

"Yeah. Dr. Stowe, I don't think she should be here."

"No, Lana. She shouldn't. I'll go talk to her." Dana walked down the hall towards her partner's office, then paused before knocking on the door.

Dana knocked on the door, then waited for an answer. When she received none, she opened the door. "Lu?" Again, she received no answer. Dana pushed open the door further and stepped inside.

She found her partner sitting on the couch, knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. She seemed to be staring off into the distance.

"Hey Lu." Lu slowly looked up, suddenly realizing that she wasn't alone in the room.

"Oh. Dana. What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing. Lu, you shouldn't be here today. You should take today off."

"I can't, Dana. My patients...they expect me to be here." Lu answered.

"But Lu, after what happened last night...just 12 hours ago. You need to take some personal time." Dana argued.

"Don't tell me what I need to do, Dana." Lu said, her tone angry. "What I need to do is get started with the day. Now if you'll excuse me, I have patients. And I'm sure that you do too." Without another word, Lu stormed out of her office, leaving a speechless Dana staring after her.


	2. TELLING ROBERT

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to Lifetime Television.

Chapter 2: TELLING ROBERT

"Good morning,Ms. Hawkins." Dr. Robert Jackson, Chief of Staff at Rittenhouse, greeted the receptionist.

"Nothin' good about it." Lana replied, then got up from her desk and walked away.

"Well, she's in a fine mood." he said under his breath. Robert started down the hall just as Lu came out of her office.

"Dr. Delgado, I'd like to have a word with you, if I may."

"I'm running late. I have chat room. I don't have time for a word". Lu hurried down the hall towards the chat room, then paused before entering the room. Finally, she took a deep breath and opened the door. "Good morning, Ladies. What is the topic of the day?"

Robert watched as she disappeared into the chat room. "Another wonderful mood." he stated. Robert glanced around, spotting Nurse Peter Riggs and Dr. Nick Biancavilla.

"Good Morning, gentlemen. Mind if I ask you a question?" Nick glanced at Peter, then cleared his throat. "Sorry, Dr. Jackson. I need to get back to the ER." Nick hurried down the hall before anyone could say anything else.

"Nurse Riggs?"

"Sorry, Dr. J. I need to get up to L and D." Peter said quickly, then hurried down the hall.

"Everyone is sure in a rush around here today." Robert said to himself.

A short time later, Robert knocked on the door to Dana's office.

"Come in." Dana glanced up when the door opened.

"Hi Robert. What can I do for you?"

"I just stopped in to see how things went while I was gone. I had hoped to get back in time for your party yesterday for Dr. Kilner, but didn't quite make it." Robert said, referring to Dr. Rand Kilner, who had recently been appointed Chief of Surgery. "I'll have to go upstairs and congratulate him. He must be..."

"He's in jail, Robert." Dana said quickly, interrupting her boss.

"What? You can't be serious, Dana. What did he do? Get a speeding ticket?" Robert smiled at his little joke, but the look on Dana's face quickly told him that this was no joke.

"He raped a woman, Robert."

"What? When did this happen? A patient?" Robert questioned, still not believing that one of his most prominent surgeons could be capable of such a horrific act.

"It happened last night, Robert." Dana replied. "And no, it wasn't a patient."

"Dana, will you please tell me what happened?" Robert asked impatiently. "If it wasn't a patient...a girl friend?" Dana slowly shook her head.

"It was...Lu." Dana said softly.

"What?" Robert asked in disbelief. "Dr. Delgado? But I just saw her. She..."

"Yeah, she's here. I told her that she should take a personal day. But you know how she is."

"How did this happen, Dana? Rand Kilner is a prominent surgeon. He wouldn't..."

"But he did, Robert. He raped Lu. I was the one who did the rape kit on her."

"How did it happen?" Robert asked again. Dana took a deep breath.

"Last night we had the party for Kilner in my office. Lu came in to get a file. Kilner asked her to stay, but she said she couldn't because she needed to get home before her son. Lu's car wouldn't start so Kilner offered her a ride home. She accepted. Then she showed up in the ER saying he had raped her."

"I still can't believe it. Rand Kilner? A rapist? What is his side of this?" Robert asked.

"He insisted that it was consensual ." Dana answered.

"Let me guess. Lu insists that it wasn't." Robert said.

"Robert, I know you don't agree with a lot of the things that Lu does. But I believe without a doubt that she is telling the truth. There was a period during the exam last night that I even questioned her about it, asking if it happened the way she said it did. The look on her face and in her eyes told me that she is telling the truth, Robert. He raped her."

"Is...is she okay?" Dana stared at him for a moment, not believing that he could even ask such a thing.

"What do you think, Robert?" Dana asked sarcastically.

"Well, I guess that explains why everyone around here seems to be in a foul mood. No one seemed to want to talk to me. I still can't believe that something like this could happen. I think maybe I need to go talk to Lu."

"Robert, if you do talk to her, please keep in mind that what happened to her last night was a horrible, brutal thing. Try to be sympathetic and understanding." Dana suggested. "Please don't give her the impression that you don't believe her. She doesn't need that now."

"Which one of us is the Chief of Staff here, Dana?" Robert questioned. "I think I know how to talk to one of my staff."

"Sorry, Robert. It's just that...well..."

"I know, Dana. Don't worry. I'll be careful when I talk to her."

"Thank you, Robert. Maybe you can talk her into taking some time off. I just don't think she should be here today."

"I'll see what I can do. Thank you for filling me in." Robert excused himself, then left the office, still unable to believe what he had just been told, and wanting to hear both sides of the story.


End file.
